Most hazardous trees in Ipoh have been felled, says mayor

IPOH: Most large trees that pose a risk of falling and injuring the public or damaging property have been cut down, says Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin.

He said such measures had been carried out since last year.

“We have experts from the landscape department to ascertain which trees need to be felled.

“We cannot just chop down all the big trees in the city, as there needs to be a balance. They not only provide shade but also absorb large amounts of carbon.

“So if we cut down all the big trees, it will get very hot in Ipoh,” he told a press conference after the city council’s full board meeting here on Friday (May 31).

Rumaizi said regular monitoring and maintenance of large trees was carried out.

Two of the council’s Landscape and Parks Department officers also underwent courses conducted by certified arborists, he added.

“Where large trees are located and pose a threat, (they) are cut down, but in areas where any potential falling tree does not pose a risk (to people or property) then tree maintenance is conducted,” he said.

Rumaizi said regular maintenance of older large trees was important to ensure their stability.

He added that such work was carried out on 9,946 trees last year alone.

“This maintenance work includes the cutting down of dead, damaged, leaning and diseased trees (2,066), and maintenance of the branches and canopies of 7,880 others,” he said.

Rumaizi said a tree inventory had been created for tree-lined areas with many visitors such as city parks, in collaboration with the National Landscape Department and a certified arborist.

“Through this record, the department will conduct risk analysis, including assessing the potential danger if the tree falls to road users, property, or other infrastructure,” he said.

He also noted that trees of the

Rumaizi said it was also agreed in 2021 that African mahogany (Khaya senegalensis) trees, which are prone to falling, be replaced especially in residential areas, business premises and along main roads.

There has been public concern about falling trees since a fatal incident in Kuala Lumpur and May 7, followed by several subsequent incidents around the country during stormy weather.